The Tales of the West: The Ecstasy of Gold
by Crube
Summary: The prequel to Tales of the West. This prequel focuses on Gene and Jim before what happened in the story.


Tales of The West: Ecstasy of Gold

Tales of the West: Ecstasy of Gold

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Outlaw Star

By: Laguna

Gene cleared his desk of the scattered documents. It was useless he thought how is he ever going to make enough money with so little options? He stood up and turned to the door where his friend resides. Gene sighed for a moment, time was going by and they are going nowhere fast. Jim burst through the door, "I JUST FOUND OUR TICKET OUT OF HERE GENE!" Gene looked at him, "What now? Another railroad excavating site? These things are getting old." "No way Gene, it's a map to a gold mine." Gene sighed, "Once again, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't trust those old guys, they are just making maps for the fun of it." "That 'old' man you are talking about is my dad, this was his before he died. He told me he never found it and wanted me to find it." He looked to the dust-ridden floor. Man, that was harsh, Gene thought, better do something quick before he goes on a hate spell, "Well, why are you just standing there? Get the horses and the junk prepared, we are heading out." Jim took the bag off the table and raced toward the horse stall. "Man, this reminds me when my dad used to do something like this." He threw the papers in the trashcan and headed out. Jim pulled the horses and climbed on, "C'mon Gene, you're lagging behind!" "Gee…I just got out of the house Jim, cant you wait?" Gene jumped onto his horse and headed out hollering behind, "IS THAT FAST ENOUGH KID?" Jim looked up ahead to see him riding off, he stuffed the map in his pocket and followed quickly. Sun falls west and the blue moon occupies the air. "Jim…how much longer?" Jim looked away from his map, "Well, we should be here by now but all I see is sand." The two hopped off their horses. "I don't get it, if it says its here…then what is it supposed to look like?" Jim made a few steps forward, "I dunno but this don't look go….AHHH!" Jim fell through a small stone opening in the sand. "JIM!!" Gene hollered; he dived toward the hole slid right in. Gene landed with a huge thud. "Glad you can drop in Gene, we have to find ourselves out of this place." "Yeah, whatever, ever thought this could be the place we are looking for Jim?" The two got up and searched the place. Strange, the whole place was well lit, but no torches or lamps. The light was coming from the next room, the two looked at each other and nodded. They slowly made their way to the illuminated room. Gene removed his gun from his holster just in case. He jumped through the door, sling his gun left to right. Empty. The one thing that stands out was the strange statue. Jim walked up to it and prod the statue with a stick. "What's so special about that Jim. Its just a statue." "Yeah," Jim said to himself, "It looks alive though." Gene laughed a bit, "Its just stories to get little kids to shut up and fall asleep real fast." Jim shrugged and followed Gene. The statue itself began to move. A green substance poured through the pores and it roared. Jim and Gene turned around. "GOD! WHAT IS THAT JIM? YOU KNOW THAT KIND OF STUFF? DO YOU?" "Its Chimera, but…that's only in Greek mythologies. How is that a statue out here in America and how is it alive?" "I don't care! All I care is not to be the things dinner." Gene ran off, Jim hesitated a second and followed Gene. "This place is like a giant labyrinth." "A what?" Gene asked. "It's a giant maze…a giant death maze." "That's great to hear." They raced down the corridor into a strange and elaborated room. Red silk decorates the walls. A small portal stands in the room. "What do you think it is Jim?" Jim studied the walls. Hieroglyphics cover the spaces that the silk doesn't cover. "Well, it looks like it takes people to places." "Wait," Gene turned to Jim, "How do you know?" "Well…the hieroglyphics on the walls. Lets try this thing out." Jim leaped through the portal and disappeared. Gene stuck his hand through the portal, blinking a few times. He felt something grabbed his hand and he was pulled in. "GOD!" He found Jim up ahead of him, "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN, YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" The Chimera swam through the quick sand on the side; Gene instinctively pulled his guns out of his holsters. Jim turned around to Gene, "What is it?" Gene looked up at him, "I heard something, stand your guard." The beast lunged toward Gene and Gene began to shoot it in the chest. The Chimera pounced on Gene and started to slash at him. A shotgun blast knocks the beast off Gene. The Chimera got onto its four feet and pounced on Jim, biting him on his neck. "JIM!" Gene fired a bullet through the beast head and it evaporated into sulfur. Gene rushed to his fallen friend and picked him up on his shoulders. A long narrow corridor appears in front of him. Gene began to walk down the corridor. He saw something he never saw before, the planets and stars surround him. Man, only if he were awake, he would be pretty impressed, he thought. Three giant statues of pharos rose up. "Who disturbs?" Gene looked up at the statue, "I do, I am.." "I know who you are. What do you wish from us?' Man…this is it, he thought. He looked to his fallen friend. God, I have to admit it, he has helped me a lot, forget the treasure. He looked up at the statue, "I want you to cure my friend." Before he was done finishing, a bright light filled from the pharaoh's eyes and everything went blank. Five minutes later, Gene woke up from a strange sleep he fell into, he was back in the desert with the horses and the stars scattered in the sky. He looked over and saw Jim looking up at the stars. Yeah, everything will be ok, he thought. Months later at the house, Gene sat at his desk, waiting for another customer when Jim barged through. "What now Jim? Another railroad expedition?" "Yeah, but its high pay this time. We have to go to Arizona." "What's the pay?" Gene asked. "About six thousand." Gene got up quick, "Then what are you waiting for? Lets go!" Gene rushed out in a heartbeat. Jim saw his friend rushed out and he laughed to himself, "Well the only way to get him out, at least we have something real to do." 

There you go. I hope you like it, and as you noticed. It is a prequel to Tales of the West. Want to know what happens after this? Then read chapter one of "Tales of the West". In matter-o-facto. Read the whole story!


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